Moscow, Tehran ink MoU on S-300 delivery: Russia official

Moscow and Tehran have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to implement the deal on the delivery of the Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missile defense systems to Iran, a senior Russian official says.

"This week, a memorandum on the implementation of the agreement to supply Russian S-300 missile defense systems to Iran has been signed. It is a kind of a 'roadmap'," RIA Novosti quoted the unidentified official from the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) as saying on Thursday.

The official further noted that the fresh agreement does not specify any timeframe for the delivery of the missile defense system, the number of batteries or the price.

Tehran, however, has not commented on the report yet.

On August 18, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said that the Islamic Republic is set to receive upgraded batteries of the S-300 missile defense system from Russia, adding that the delivery will take place soon. He added that a delegation of Iranian officials would travel to the Russian capital, Moscow, the following week to sign a contract on the issue.

One day later, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov also stated that Moscow and Tehran have agreed on the delivery of the missile defense system to Iran, noting that it is a done deal while only some technical issues are left to be clarified.

Moscow banned the delivery of the S-300 system to Tehran back in 2010 under the pretext that the agreement it signed with Iran in 2007 was covered by the fourth round of the UN Security Council sanctions which bars hi-tech weapons sales to the Islamic Republic.

In April 2015, however, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a presidential decree paving the way for the long-overdue delivery of the missile defense system to the Islamic Republic. The two side later reached a comprehensive agreement.

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